The chemical reaction equation of photosynthesis is shown here:

[tex]\[ 6 CO_2 + 6 H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 O_2 \][/tex]

What information is not given in this equation?

A. It does not show if the reaction is reversible.
B. It does not show the reactants needed for the reaction.
C. It does not show that photosynthesis consists of many separate steps.
D. It does not show the number of molecules required to produce glucose.



Answer :

Let's analyze the given chemical reaction equation of photosynthesis:

[tex]\[ 6 \, CO_2 + 6 \, H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 \, O_2 \][/tex]

From the chemical equation, we can deduce the following points:

1. Reversibility of the Reaction:
- The equation [tex]\(6 \, CO_2 + 6 \, H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 \, O_2\)[/tex] is typically presented as a one-way reaction, meaning it does not explicitly show reversibility. However, it doesn't mean that the reaction itself cannot be reversible under different conditions, such as cellular respiration.

2. Reactants Needed for the Reaction:
- The equation clearly lists the reactants needed for the photosynthesis process: carbon dioxide ([tex]\(CO_2\)[/tex]) and water ([tex]\(H_2O\)[/tex]).

3. Separate Steps in Photosynthesis:
- Photosynthesis is a complex process that involves multiple stages, such as the light-dependent reactions and the Calvin cycle. The chemical equation provided does not illustrate these separate steps; it only summarizes the overall input and output.

4. Number of Molecules Required to Produce Glucose:
- The equation explicitly shows that six molecules of carbon dioxide and six molecules of water are needed to produce one molecule of glucose ([tex]\(C_6H_{12}O_6\)[/tex]) along with six molecules of oxygen.

Given these detailed points, we can conclude that the information not given in the equation is:

"It does not show that photosynthesis consists of many separate steps."

This absence illustrates that while the equation is correct in depicting the overall reaction, it does not convey the complexity and multiple stages involved in the photosynthesis process.